Dettagli

This is the debut entry of the "Buddha-Bar" series, and considering that it was released back in 1999, the material still sounds remarkably fresh. A co-worker of mine recommended the Buddha-Bar series since she knows I'm really into downtempo music with a touch of Eastern flavor. When I approached this set, the first thing that grabbed me was the rather steep pricetag, which seems to be putting off quite a few listeners. But the deal is this: "Buddha-Bar" is recommended depending on who you are.

If you're a casual listener who buys maybe 3-5 CDs a year, then this may not be a wise purchase. However, if you're a music lover who has an extensive and diverse range of genres in your collection, then I don't see how forking out the extra cash should be that big a deal. The fact is: the material on this album is very good. In this handsomely-packaged collection, we have two discs: "Buddha's Dinner" and "Buddha's Party." The stronger of these two discs is definitely the "Dinner" one, which has mellowed-out tracks that really give off a sense of calm.

My favorite track has to be the lovely "What Will I Be" by Zeave Ben. It's one of those tunes that stayed imprinted in my head because the song is so distinct and beautifully arranged. The "Party" disc has slightly less of an Eastern vibe, but has a fair amount of really good dance tunes that are decent enough for any party. The main attractions here are the Eurodisco bounce of So Emotional, who does a cover of the hit "All By Myself" as well as Byron Stingily's "Flying High," which gets a Brazilian makeover by DJs Masters at Work. While not quite flawless, I'm overall pleased with "Buddha-Bar," and I hope to explore other volumes of this fine series.